Celebrate!!

We stop and celebrate many things in the course of our lifetime; birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holiday’s, graduations, accomplishments, the lives of those who have passed, the list could continue for a very long time!   As I was contemplating what to write it occurred to me that I personally do not stop and celebrate what my loving Creator has done in the past, what He is currently doing and what He has planned for the future.  Yes I celebrate by worshipping collectively with other believers during weekend services, I may include a prayer of thanksgiving in my daily prayers, and I do utter the saying :”Thank You Jesus” or “Thank you God” when something goes my way.  However, rarely do I stop and celebrate God in the same grand fashion thaw I celebrate the things mentioned above.

in The Message, Philippians 4:4 says, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them.” How much stronger would our witness be for this world if we “reveled” in God everyday?  After all, seasons of Celebration where orchestrated by God for the Israelites.  They allowed the Israelites to pause and see how living in complete surrender to God makes life effective, fruitful, fulfilling and joy-filled.

Here is an excerpt from an article by Jonathan Parnell; to the entire article, click here.

The Real Rejoicing

To be clear, there is nothing shallow about this joy. The event that inspires this pleasure goes deeper than the superficial successes that tend to snag us. The point is not to celebrate and be glad because a reality TV show about Christians is topping the charts. Rather, this joy is a kind not of this world. It’s more like: our brothers and sisters in the Middle East are being killed, our buildings are being burned, our children are threatened, our witness marginalized, but the gates of hell will not prevail. Sinners are being saved.

The good news of Jesus, simultaneous to our sufferings, and often through them, is penetrating the darkest darkness all over this world. There is no depth his love cannot reach and no power that can stay his hand. Jesus is building his church. Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, this is cause to rejoice.

The time is right. It is fitting to celebrate and be glad.

Family Time:

As a family, take time to celebrate our loving God; pause as a family and “revel” in Him on a regular basis, just as you would for a holiday, or a birthday.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord“. Set aside time to celebrate God, this can be daily as a part of your family’s devotion time, during a weekly dinner or during a monthly gathering of friends and family.  If you would like to “Celebrate” using the Christian Festivals, here is a handy calendar for you, 2015 Christian Festivals! For more information and other Parenting Resources , click here for Ridge Kids Parent Page.

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